1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tools and more particularly to a wire winding tool.
2. Prior Art
In the construction, assemblage, or hookup of electrical components it is frequently necessary to wrap a conductive wire around another member, generally describable as a terminal post or pin. In this wrapping, it is desired that the wire undergo a spiral wind on the post. Numerous tools have been developed to aid in accomplishing this winding. A presently available standard type includes a rod-like member having an axial end with a bore therethrough for receiving the terminal and a configuration for engaging the wire to direct the wire around the terminal with rotation of the rod. Configurations known include additional axial bores in the end face for receipt of the wire, recessed central area axial end faces with raised peripheries with or without axially open ended notches therein and axially projecting ribs, posts, and chamfer faces.
Such prior art tools are either small hand held units adapted to be rotated between the fingers or are units attachable to power tools or to hand actuated pistol grip-like rotators.
It is an advantage in the construction of such hand tools to make them relatively small as so that they can be easily and comfortably rotated between the thumb and forefinger of a user and can further be comfortably grasped by the hand. Further, simplification of end face design is desired so that one handed operation of the tool is facilitated since during use the other hand will normally be required to hold either the component having the terminal pin or the wire source or both. It is an additional advantage if the tool can be designed such that it can be grasped in the palm of the hand by the last two fingers so that the hand holding the tool, when the tool is not being used for winding, can aid in locating the wire adjacent the proper terminal.
All of the above factors can combine to create a tool which the user does not have to lay aside when wrapping wire on a succession of terminals on either the same or a succession of articles.
Although prior designs have, in some instances, achieved one or more of the above objectives, their versatility and usefulness is limited by the fact that the operator must put the tool down in order to grasp another tool to cut off the excess wire. Further, in connection with many of the previous designs, it is possible for the wire to slip out of contact with the end face configuration which is to insure rotation of the wire with the hand tool. Additionally many prior art tools of this type, although useful in winding the wire, have not been successful in dressing the wire down on the terminal into axially tight engaged coils.
It would therefore be an advance in the art to provide a wire wrap tool having a simplified construction which will easily and securingly grasp the wire and wind it around a terminal, which will dress the wire down on the terminal and which will sever any excess wire. It would be an even greater advance if such a tool could perform the function of grasping the wire, winding the wire, dressing the wire, and cutting the wire on successive terminals without the necessity of laying the tool aside.